Second World War Museum, Calais

The Second World War Museum in Calais offers a profound exploration into the city’s wartime past, uniquely housed within a sprawling, thick-walled concrete bunker built as a command post for the German Navy during WWII. Constructed in 1941 and located discreetly within the serene surroundings of Saint Pierre Park, this massive bunker remained undetected throughout the war, only to be rediscovered by Canadian forces in September 1944. In 1962, it was transformed into a museum, now consisting of 22 themed rooms filled with artifacts, documents, and models that showcase the local and broader impacts of the German occupation.

The museum’s layout is straightforward, with a central corridor flanked by eleven rooms on each side. Each room immerses visitors in specific wartime themes, from “The Resistance” to “Aviation,” “Posters & Uniforms,” and more. Notable displays include a Russian 76.2mm cannon, seized by the Germans and prominently positioned in the entrance, as well as detailed dioramas and uniformed mannequins depicting both Axis and Allied soldiers. In addition to military artifacts like small arms, uniforms, and aero engines recovered from crash sites, there’s a particularly moving focus on the Calais Resistance efforts, with stories of figures like Claude Waroquier, who wrote letters from prison to his family before his tragic fate.

What sets this museum apart is its emphasis on original documents, newspapers, and official notices. These printed records reveal the atmosphere and daily struggles of those who lived in Calais under occupation, with examples such as stern proclamations from the German command and French headlines that foreshadowed war. The museum also offers an audio guide app, making it accessible for English-speaking visitors. For anyone interested in WWII history or the resilience of wartime communities, the Calais Memorial Museum offers a rich, poignant experience that goes beyond traditional military displays to reveal the human side of wartime Calais.